Sanitary water-closet



Oct. 22, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Nov. 10, 1923 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS E. PAYNE, Of PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA SANITARY WATER-CLOSET Original application filed November 10, 1923, Serial No. 673,947. Divided and this application filed.

February 25, 1928.

My invention is an improvement in water closets, and relates particularly to the bowl construction and its water circulating passages, and its adaptation to a supply controlling valve therefor.

This application is a division of my application filed November 10, 1923, Serial No. 673,947, patented February 28, 1928, No. 1,660,332.

Tn present types of sanitary bowls, flushing is generally effected from local tanks designed to give a relatively large flow of water in a short time, or water is supplied from pipes of relatively large diameter, in which 5 comparatively high pressures are maintained.

The present invention proposes to provide means for flushing a bowl capable of use with small sizes of pipes and without the use of tanks and without requiring unusually high m pressures.

The important feature of the present invention is the combination with a bowl designed to give the desired distribution of water, of a valve for cooperation therewith to supply the water to the separate points of distribution in proper sequences and in the desired timed relation, to properly flush the bowl, for eii'ecting the desired tlow ct water through the ditierent channels of the bowl at 39 the proper intervals of time.

an additional feature of very great importance resides in the assembly of distributing and timing valve elements on an operating means in such manner that the parts may 5 have slight relative movements, whereby they may adjust themselves to irregularities in the casing in which they move, whereby such careful machining of the parts to such a degree of accuracy as to preclude commercial practicatd bility is avoided. 3

These and other objects and advantages are attained by my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fi 1 is a top plan View of a sanitary bowl embodying my invention;

Fig. 2is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section so through the valve and the receiving pocket of Serial No. 256,959.

the bowl, showing the manner of attaching the valve to the bowl, and showing the valve in closed position;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views indicating the different positions of the distributing valve;

Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line VH- VII of Fig. 1 omitting the valve.

In the drawings, A designates the sanitary bowl and B is the flushing valve. This type of bowl illustrated in the drawings and designated A is known in the art as the siphon-jet type, but I do not confine my invention to any particular type of bowl, the invention being equally applicable to those not utilizing the siphon principle. The bowl it as illustrated includes a pedestal 5, a bowl or receptacle 6, and a top rim 7. The inverted dam is designated 8, and 9 is the upright dam. The drag or siphon leg is designated 10, and the up-leg between the two dams is designated 10.

The receptacle has, at its forward part, a'

raised bottom portion 11, whose inclination is very slight. The top of dam. 9 is slightly above the level of bottom 11, so that the area of the bottom is below the normal water line K-Jt, indicated by the dot and dash line of Fig. 2, and is theretore normally covered by water to a shallow depth.

Surrounding the top of the bowl is a rim 12 having tangentially disposed or inclined ports 13 therethrough, which ports are adapted to direct circularly flowing jets of water into the bowl, causing the water to whirl around therein. One end oi": the passage in the rim 12 is closed by a partition 1 1, the other end of the rim opening into a water inlet chamber 15, hereinafter described. All of the water entering the rim, therefore, flows in one direction.

Projecting laterally from one side of the passage 21 leading down the side of the bowl and under the bottom thereof to the ejector jet 22 at the lowermost end of passage 10.

When water is introduced into the bowl from the rim, the water circles around in the upper part of the bowl, tending to form a swirl, to the center of which the contents of the bowl are carried. Due to the almost level bottom portion 11, the water may be retained in the bowl a fraction of a minute longer, whereby the swirling action of the water is prolonged, materially increasing the elliciency of the structure.

When the swirling action has been continued a proper length of time, the water to the rim is shut off, and the full pressure of water directed up into the up-leg through jet 22, it will be seen that all contents brought below the inverted dam will be ejected or forced through the up-leg of the closet.

After the stream of water has been forced through the jet a suflicient time, water may again be supplied to the rim, the water flowing out both the rim and the jet, to restore the normal water level in the bowl.

The valve is designed to efiect the distribution of the water in the manner outlined.

The valve includes a metal casing or body 25 having a removable cap 26 threaded into its lower end and a removable cap 27 screwed onto its upper end. Formed on the outside of the upper part of the body, which is generally cylindrical, are a plurality of ribs 28 which have threaded surfaces 29 to engage a flanged nut 30. At 31 is an upper port in the casing, and at 32 is a lower port. The ribs 28 form bridges to join the different sections of the casing after ports 31 and 32 are formed. These ports may be formed by setting the easing up in a lathe and cutting annular grooves in the casing with an inside cutting tool, until the wall of the casing has been entirely cut away, leaving the sections connected by the ribs. This arrangement lends itself to cheap manufacture, and provides annular ports in the casing of suflicient size to pass the necessary amount of water. Below the lowermost port 32 is a lateral flange 33. Below the plane of this flange is a water inlet connection 34.

The flange thus divides the easing into upper and lower parts, the chamber 35 within the upper part, in which are ports 31 and 32, being called the valve or distributing chamber, and the chamber 36 in the lower part being termed the timing chamber. A transverse partition 37 inside the casing, between the two chambers and above the water inlet connection, definitely separates'the two chambers.- 4 This partition has a central opening 38 therein, around which, on the under face of the partition, is a valve seat 39.

The upper cap 27 has a packing gland 40 centrally disposed thereon, through which an operating rod 41 passes. The upper end of the rod is threaded and screwed thereto is a knob 42. The knob has a downwardly projecting extension 43 which, when rod 41 is moved downwardly, contacts with nut 40 of the gland to limit the downward movement of the rod. In order to adjust the distance, the rod may be moved, the knob may be screwed up and down on the rod, a set screw 44 being provided to hold the knob in adjusted position.

The lower end of rod 41 has a rectangular head 45 thereon which is received in a transversely extending rabbeted slot 46 in a connecting member or nut 47, this nut having a central threaded opening 48 to receive the upper threaded end of a rod 49. The head 45 has a slight clearance in the slot 46.

Below the nut 47 is a spacing ring 50 and on the shaft 49, below the spacing ring, is a flange or washer 51. i

In the chamber 35 is a slidable sleeve valve 52 which is somewhat like an inverted cup in shape, the valve being hollow, but having a perforated spider 52 at its top. The opening in the spider permits water to pass therethrough. The spider has a central opening 52 through which rod 49 passes, spacer 50 being disposed in this opening. The valve is thus loosely secured to the composite stem 4149, the spider being confined between nut 47 and washer 51.

Because of the fact that rod 41 passes through a. packing and, therefore, must move in a straight line, the loose coupling at 4546 between the rod 41 and rod 49 is provided, so that the lower rod section may adjust itself to inaccuracies due to imperfect machining or fitting of parts, without causing rod 41 to bind. If the stem 4149 were a single rigid structure, machining of parts would have to be so accurate as to render its manufacture by ordinary methods impractical. For the same reason, a slight play is allowed between the valve and the stem, as de scribed.

The distributing sleeve valve 52, which is, of course, cylindrical in shape, has ribs on its interior for connecting the parts after an annular port 54 is cut in the periphery of the valve. This port 54 is substantially midway between the ends of the valve, dividing the valve into upper part 52' and lower part 52". The annular port 54 normally registers with upper port 31 in the casing, as shown in Fig. 6, and the lower end of the valve is well above the lower port 32.

Rod 49 extends down through opening 38 and its extreme lower end isthreaded and screwed into a metal core 55 in the timing chamber 36. Above its lower threaded end, the rod 49 is fluted for a short distance, as indicated at 56, and spaced upwardly from the fluted portion is a flange 57. Confined between member 55, which has a flange 55 at its upper end, and a washer 58 on rod 49, is a valve member 59.

This valve member is received within a central chamber 60 of a reciprocable valve member 61. This valve member has an extension 62 on the upper end thereof which has a well 63 therein and is exteriorly threaded. The top of the extension has saw cuts 64 therein. Around the base of the extension is a valve ring 65 held in place by nut 66 on the exterior of the extension. This valve ring is normally held against seat 39 to prevent water enterin inlet 34 from pass ing up into valve cham er 35.

The fluted part 56 of rod 49 passes through an opening in the bottom of well 63, and at 67 is a seat for cooperation with valve 59.

Tn the well 63, around the rod 49 and conlined between the bottom of the well and the flange 57, is a compression spring 68 for urging valve 59 against seat 67.

The valve 61, for convenience of construction and to reduce the amount of metal re parts connected therewith upwardly to bowl by inserting it through the bottom of the pocket. its the bowls are manufactured from clay, diii'erent bowls are not the same and each one will have irregularities difierent Zt'rom others. A soft rubber gasket 75 is accordingly placed on nut and a second one 76 on flange 33. Nut 30 is adjusted by fitting the valve into the pocket, determining the proper position tor the nut, removing the valve, and setting the nut. Nut 30 may thus be set so as to bring gaskets 75 and 7 6 against the flanges 18 and 19, respectively, to be torced into sealing engagement therewith. A gasket 77 is then placed on flange 17.

During the fitting of the valve, knob 42 and cap 27 are removed. Cap 27 is then ap lied, and screwed down, compressing gas- (ct 77 and lifting the valve bodv, thereby compressing gaskets 75 and 76. Thus, the valve is quickly fitted to the bowl. When so fitted, port 31 opens into chamber 15 and port 32 opens into chamber 20.

Before knob 42 is applied, a porcelain hood 78 may be fitted over the pocket and valve, this hood having a metal bushing 79 clamped therein to guide the knob. The knob may then be applied and screw 44 is set. Because of the head being rectangular, rod 41 is held against turning knob is screwed down.

The parts of the valve are normally in the position shown in Fig. 3. The inlet water pressure communicate to the lower end of the valve body 61 through passsage 70, so that the'inlet pressure and spring 73 both tend to hold ring against seat 39.

When knob 42 is forced down, flange 57 first moves down against the end of extension 62, unseating valve 39, allowing the water in the timing chamber 36 to escape up into the well around the fluted portion 56 of the stem, and breaking the resisting pressure of this water. This immediately establishes a dillerential pressure between the inletwater and the water in the lower end of the timing chamber, as water will not flow as rapidly through passage as it escapes into the well.

As soon as valve 59 opens, and the differential pressure is established, the plunger may be easily torced further down, unseating valve 65. The area of valve member 61 exposed to inlet pressure downwardly is then greater than the area subject to upward pressure, and the plunger will be assisted in its downward movement by the water pressure. @onsequently, the plunger, as the entire reciprocable assembly may be termed, may be with the knob as the easily torced downwardly by a single application of pressure in a very short period of time. The downward movement will be limited by the knob, as hereinbetore described.

When the knob is forced down to its lowermost extent, distributing valve 52 is moved a corresponding distance. Port 32 is covered by surface 52 of the valve 52, while port 31 is uncovered. llfater coming into pipe 34 passes through opening 32 and up through the top of the valve and out port 31 into chamber 15, as illustrated by the arrows in Fig. 4.

As the water continues to run, spring 68 closes valve 59 and a water pressure begins to build up in the lower end of the timing chamber, water entering through passages 70. This, with the assistance of spring 73, forces valve 61 and valve 52 upwardly until port 32 is uncovered and port 31 is covered by area 52' of valve 52. Then all the water flows into chamber 20. The position of the parts is shown in diagram in Fig. 5.

Finally, port 54 in valve 52 comes into register with port 31, and the flow of water is divided until valve 61 is again moved up to closed position. As port 31 is wider than port 54, the time interval between the time when port 54 first registers with port 31 and the valve 61 has finally closed will be appreciable, and for a short duration of time, water will flow through both ports 31 and 32, as indicated in Fig. 6.

Thus, it will be seen that the valve will first supply Water to the rim of bowl A, then to the jet, and then to both the rim and the jet.

By concentratin the entire flow first into the rim and then 1nto the jet, greater efliciency is obtained with less water and smaller supply pipes may thus be used, than with any present type of flushing valves. Neither need the water pressure be very great to effectively flush the bowl.

Where the water is supplied at very high pressure s,it is desirable that the valve close more quickly than when the water is at low ressure. Proper adjustment may accordingly be made by adjusting knob 42 to allow for a shorter movement of the parts when the pressure is highand a greater movement when the pressure is low.

Pm 71 is made of suflicient length to engage the shoulder 26 in the bottom of the cap 26, so that when the valve 61 moves down, the movement of the pin will be limited, and a relative movement between the pin and the valve may be effected. This tends to keep the restricted passage around the pin from becoming clogged with solid particles.

I claim as my invention:

1. A water closet having a bowl, a rim for the bowl, a jet for the bowl, a valvereceiving pocket thereon divided into separate u per and lower chambers,,a passage leading rom the upper chamber to the rim, a passage leading from the lower chamber to the jet, and a valve in the pocket having upper and lower ports therein, the upper and lower ports opening into the upper and lower chambers, respectively, and means in the valve for directing a flow of water first throu h one port, Eheg through the other, and then through 2. The combination with a water closet having a bowl, a rim for the bowl, a jet, and a pocket at one side thereof, said pocket having three spaced-apart horizontal flanges, an

upper chamber between the top and intermediate flanges, a lower chamber between the intermediate and lower flanges, a passage leading from the upper chamber to the rim and from the lower chamber to the jet; of a valve in the pocket comprising a vertical casing having upper and lower port-s therein opening into the upper and lower chambers,

respectively, a flanged nut threaded on the bod for cooperation with the central flange in the pocket, a flange on the body for cooperation with the lower flange on the body, and a flanged member threaded to the top of the body for engagement with the up er side of the top flange of the body, said anged nut between the ports enabling proper adjustment {)0 1361 inade for variations in the flanges of the 3. A water closet having a bowl, a water rim around the top of the bowl, 2. water jet in the lower part of the bowl, three spacedapart horizontal flanges surrounding concentric annular openings forming a separate upper passage communicating with the rim and a separate lower passage communicating with the jet, a common pocket in the bowl to which both passages lead, a flushing valve received in the pocket arranged to alternately direct water down diflerent channels, and operating means for the valve.

l. The combination with a water closet having a bowl and a rim for the top of the bowl and a et at the bottom, said rim having ports therein so arranged as to direct water into the bowl so as to produce a swirling n10- tion, a pocket in the bowl having upper and lower chambers therein, a passage leading from the upper chamber to the rim, a passage leading from the lower chamber to the jet; of a valve comprising a casing received in said pocket and secured therein, said casing having upper and lower ports in the sides thereof opening into the upper and lower ports in the chamber, respectively, a control valve in the casing for controlling the flow of water, a distributing valve for controlling the flow of water through the ports, operating means for the valve. and timing means for the valves for controlling the control and distributing valves, said distributing valve directing the flow of water first to the rim. then to the jet, and then to both, the timing valve governing the duration of flow and insuring a suflicient flow of water to the rim to provide an effective swirling action in the bowl before the passage to the jet is opened.

5. T he combination with a water closet having a bowl and a rim for the top of the bowl and a jet at the bottom, said rim having ports therein so arranged as to direct water into the bowl so as to produce a swirling motion, a pocket having upper and lower chambers therein, a passage leading from the upper chamber to the rim, a passage leading from the lower chamber to the jet; of a valve comprising a casing received in said pocket and secured therein, said casing having upper and lower ports therein opening into the upper and lower ports in the chamber, respectively, a control valve in the casing for controlling the flow of water,a distributing valve for controlling the flow of water through the ports, operating means for the valve, and timing means for the valves for controlling the control and distributing valves, said distributing valve directing the flow of water first to the rim, then to the jet, and then to both, the timing valve governing the duration of flow and insuring a suflicient flow of water to the rim to provide an eltective swirling action in the bowl before the passage to the jet is opened, and means for adjusting the movement of the valves to vary the timing thereof according to the water pressure.

6. A water closet having a one piece bowl provided with an upper rim having inwardly disposed inclined ports arranged to produce swirling motion, a water jet in the lower part of the bowl, separate upper and lower passages communicating with the rim and et respectively, a common pocket in the bowl formed of a lateral integral part cylindrical shell having an inwardly extendin upper, middle, and lower flange surroun ing the pocket andproviding independent upper and lower channels communicating with both passages, and a flushing valve adapted to direct water to the rim and jet respectively.

7. A water closet bowl having an upper hollow rim provided with inwardly directed ports and a main receiving cavity having an upwardly directed jet opening, and a valve receiving pocket in the upper side portion of the bowl having an upper and a middle flange with an intervening space forming an upper channel leading to the hollow rim and a lower bottom flange below the middle flange forming a channel leading to the under side of the jet opening.

8. A water closet bowl having an upper hollow rim provided with inwardly directed ports and a main receiving cavity having a depressed concaved bottom beyond a front shallow horizontal bottom portion, an upwardly directed jet opening formed in the depressed concaved bottom, a valve receiving pocket in the upper side portion of the bowl having an upper and a middle flange forming an upper channel leading to the hollow rim and a bottom flange below the middle flange forming a lower channel leading to the under side of the jet opening.

9. A water closet having a bowl, a rim for the bowl. a jet for the bowl, a valve receiving pocket thereon divided into separate upper and lower chambers, a passage leading from the upper chamber to the rim, a passage leading from ,the lower chamber to the jet, and a valve seating opening in the pocket provided with an inwardly extending upper, lower, and intermediate flange surrounding the opening and providing between adjacent flanges an upper circulation opening communicating with the rim passage and a lower circulation opening communicating with the jet passage respectively.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

THOMAS F. PAYNE. 

